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This is for someone who needs to know about fake mac makeup. I have fake mac lipsticks, lipgloss, and the eyeshadows. I have not had any problems with any of them. I bought a real mac lipstick to compare it with my fake mac lipstick, i saw no difference between the two. I Just ordered my some fake mac mineralize blushes, 10 of them. can't wait for them to come in. Sometimes i think that the mac that is fake has some kind of incounter with the real mac makeup manufactors, i don't know, But some of the fake mac looks just like the real mac makeup.

I may be remembering wrong on this, but I think a major difference between the two are the ingredients used to make the products and the fake ones could cause you some irritation or other skin issues. Hopefully someone with some better background knowledge on the fake products can give you better supported information than that.

Some fakes have gotten to be very, very good and look and feel pretty close to the original. But, there are so many issues with buying fakes. First, you have no idea what kind of ingredients are put into these products. Tests of some have shown that they include lead and tons of harmful bacteria, some like the kind you would find in fecal matter. You have no idea what kinds of conditions these products are made under, and there's no indication of how sanitary or clean they are. There have been cases of horrible infections, scarring, blindness, etc from people using fake cosmetics that are unsafe. Also, money from these counterfeits has been used to fund criminal activities such as drug cartels, sex trafficking, and terrorism.

I agree with the 2 previous posts. You don't know what the ingredients are that they are using. A lot of times this stuff is made in foreign countries under very poor conditions. I don't think it's a good idea to knowingly buy bad/fake makeup. It's worth it to have to the peace of mind to spend the extra coins and just buy legit.

Here's the deal with fake MAC or any other fake cosmetics out there. Most, if not all make-ups are manufactured in China. It just makes good business sense. Why make something in NA for $10, when you can make the exact same item in China for 10 cents and then sell it for $50? (We all know China is the world's factory). Ok we all get it.

Now when MAC HQ places an order for lets say, a seasonal collection to their factory in China, the factory makes an initial test run on sample batches of lets say 10,000 units to test for quality assurance protocols. Now when MAC approves of the quality control, they go ahead with a production run and they place an order of lets say 150,000 units and that 10,000 unit sample batch is supposed to be destroyed... At least on paper. In reality, the factory sells those 10,000 units to third party reseller websites like eBay.

Now the factory inflates the initial production run from 150,000 to 200,000 units. The extra 50,000 units are listed on paper as waste or damaged product. (Yes in factory settings that does actually happen, but to lesser numbers). Remember, factory machines do break down all the time, and who knows if something spilled on the product if a hydraulic line burst, or if a dry product line burst, or if a packaging / labelling line jammed up that made a certain number of products unuseable or unmarketable, and it happens in small batches, and they put those small batches aside, and they pile up, which also means that there are no quality control procedures over what happens to it after the fact, and now they are selling that potentially tainted product to third party resellers. It's all about profit at the expense of consumer safety.

Now here's the interesting kicker. We all have seen, I know I have, a few reseller sites dedicated to selling MAC, and those sites look legit with the official logo and page layouts etc, etc. We all know they're fake because we ALL know MAC's terms of agreement and how they do business. But does MAC know? Of course they do. Corporations are not stupid. So, what are they doing about it? Should they spend millions of dollars shutting these sites down? Chasing the bad guys? Or perhaps they are getting kickbacks? Tax breaks? A profit? Only the second set of books know...

Which brings us to the Blackmarket. It's been with us since the birth of Human Civilization. And we all know what it is. Ok, next.

Now, what is fake In this context? We all know, and some of the above posters have already said it: Inferior and wrong ingredients, packaging, and labels.

But what about the legit units that are listed as being damaged or wasted products during a real production run? Those ingredients and packaging have already been approved by MAC. Yes? Well, here's the grey area. On the offical paper trail (the paperwork that is for share holders, stock holders, and for tax purposes.) MAC approved only 150,000 units. The other extra 50,000 units were deemed damaged and/or destroyed during the official production run, so it doesn't "officially" exsist on paper, (because the paperwork said it was destroyed), and if it doesn't "officially" exsist, then it's deemed fake.

In reality, this happens all the time whether we like it or not. All we can do is make educated decisions with the best information we have at the moment.

Now what does that mean for us, the consumer, Pro or not? Sure it's cheaper than the real deal, but the market is being flooded and undermined, which means inflated prices for the rest of us. Then there's reputation and quality. Most Pro MUA's, like myself, make our living on purchasing authentic products from reputable sources.

I've been to IMATS as have most of you here, and none of you have ever seen fake products being sold or demonstrated there. I know IATSE MUA's in both the US and Canada that only use legit products because we can't afford to risk the health and safety of our multi-million dollar actors that sit in our chair.

Then there are those who really don't care about where they get their product from. They only care about cheap as possible. And what does that say about their integrity and character as a person? I know they don't care. We've all known people like that that come into our lives at one time or another.

It still boggles my mind WHY someone would KNOWINGLY buy fakes....I do not get it.

For the products sold under the same names (like from the permanent line; not the entirely fake collections), people may feel like they're getting nearly the identical thing but at a lesser cost. She says they feel/look the same as the real deal, but obviously the selling point is that they're cheap and it probably seems like a good deal/like they're cheating the system by getting the same thing, but not at full cost. They might just like the packaging, too, and the way it looks in their collection. That's all I can think of anyway.

For the products sold under the same names (like from the permanent line; not the entirely fake collections), people may feel like they're getting nearly the identical thing but at a lesser cost. She says they feel/look the same as the real deal, but obviously the selling point is that they're cheap and it probably seems like a good deal/like they're cheating the system by getting the same thing, but not at full cost. They might just like the packaging, too, and the way it looks in their collection. That's all I can think of anyway.

Interesting point. But if I am collecting limited edition products, I'd rather have the real deal in my collection rather than some fakes among them. Any serious art collector or museum curator will tell you the same thing.

Vogueboy: I didn't know that, about the factory sneakiness and all. Thank you for the very informative post.

As far as people purposefully buying fakes, I've known several women who wanted fake MAC to 'show off.' They want to whip out their "MAC" lipstick in the bathroom, at a PTA meeting, where ever other people can see them. One of them I know from an old job, and we still go shopping together occasionally. The last time I was at her house, she had a mirrored cabinet set up (in her bathroom, terrible for makeup) with her fake MAC and NARS and Chanel stuff mixed in with genuine products, on prominent display. She dragged me in there to see it, lol.

Another woman I know was a little bit shocked when I told her how awesome I thought it was that Mac depots and Pro-pans fit into ELF compacts that are only $1. I was showing her the one I had with me and she asked me, "But how will people know it's MAC stuff, and not cheap crap?"

So for a lot of people, it's a status thing. I would think a lot of people wear make up because they feel they need to, and are more interested in clothes, house decor, whatever. They don't really care about quality, just appearance.

*Also, the lady with the display case has some terrible fakes. She has a lot of shadow pots with misprinted labels, the words cut off on one side. And the MAC logo is upside down on the lid. I also saw a color that looked a lot like Print marked "Nylon," a Greensmoke-colored one marked "Humid," and a Digit-colored one marked "Vibrant Grape." I hope she doesn't follow any online tutorials that say "apply Nylon to the crease and browbone and blend up" because she'll end up with a weird goth look going on, lol.

Interesting point. But if I am collecting limited edition products, I'd rather have the real deal in my collection rather than some fakes among them. Any serious art collector or museum curator will tell you the same thing.

I'd agree on the limited stuff, that's why I mentioned the permanent collection items. I get a good laugh at the fake Hello Kitty, etc., collection products that pop up at least. I doubt the thread creator is much of a makeup collection "curator," but more of someone who likes the idea of owning MAC products, but won't shell out the money for the legitimate things.

That is hilarious! She just wants MAC for others to know she has it? Wow. And yes, that lady will end up looking very weird if she's using a Print-colored "Nylon" as like a highlight or blending color. hahaha!!

Originally Posted by PaleOleander

Another woman I know was a little bit shocked when I told her how awesome I thought it was that Mac depots and Pro-pans fit into ELF compacts that are only $1. I was showing her the one I had with me and she asked me, "But how will people know it's MAC stuff, and not cheap crap?"

So for a lot of people, it's a status thing. I would think a lot of people wear make up because they feel they need to, and are more interested in clothes, house decor, whatever. They don't really care about quality, just appearance.

*Also, the lady with the display case has some terrible fakes. She has a lot of shadow pots with misprinted labels, the words cut off on one side. And the MAC logo is upside down on the lid. I also saw a color that looked a lot like Print marked "Nylon," a Greensmoke-colored one marked "Humid," and a Digit-colored one marked "Vibrant Grape." I hope she doesn't follow any online tutorials that say "apply Nylon to the crease and browbone and blend up" because she'll end up with a weird goth look going on, lol.

I'd agree on the limited stuff, that's why I mentioned the permanent collection items. I get a good laugh at the fake Hello Kitty, etc., collection products that pop up at least. I doubt the thread creator is much of a makeup collection "curator," but more of someone who likes the idea of owning MAC products, but won't shell out the money for the legitimate things.

Owning, collecting, curator... It's all the same thing. Hording. jk. Seriously though, anyone who has a hobby that involves collecting things, fits into this catagory, don't you think? But like you said, the op has the idea in her head.

It still baffles me why anyone that likes the concept of owning MAC, yet buys the fake version of it instead. Are they so desperate for acceptance that they will go the fake route just for appearences? The answer is yes based on this thread and discussion...

It still baffles me why anyone that likes the concept of owning MAC, yet buys the fake version of it instead. Are they so desperate for acceptance that they will go the fake route just for appearences? The answer is yes based on this thread and discussion...

I think for a lot of people, especially if you grow up poor, having "nice" brands is a status symbol. It shows the world that you've moved up the social ladder some.

I can understand why people would want nice things in that context, and why they would buy the fakes that look real, because they're buying into the consumer fantasy. That having rich things makes you rich, makes others not look down on you.

However it's sad to me that people would risk their health and knowingly wear fake makeup. Most people are really oblivious that the products are not made with safety standards or real ingredients like the name brand stuff is. They think that it's all okay and never think about it containing lead or other horrible things because it looks okay.

Personally, I would rather save up and buy one real product, or just get drugstore stuff, because at least I know that it's made be a reputable company and it's not filled with who knows what.

It's sort of like why the FDA was created. Back before there were food laws, and ingredient labels, your "food" from a store could have been anything. I was reading a book from the 1900s and it was talking about how the "apple jelly" in stores was just boiled sawdust mixed with chemicals and dye to make it look like food, but it was really not at all. Companies would do things like grind up sawdust and use it in bread as fiber, because it was cheap and they could make a huge profit that way. It was totally disgusting to read about and it sounds like a similar deal to what the fakes industry does with the makeup. They just take whatever cheap fillers they can find, and sell those cheap products, but because it looks pretty, people think it's okay to use.

Wow i have to say that was a great read for sure, and very informative!

I have to say i have swapped with a lady who said she had MAC 3-D glitter from the heatherette collection, so we swapped and it was a chunky Mac Fake. I was pissed and of course my luck she vanished and i ended up with fake Mac.

my 2nd experience was on ebay before i knew or youtube bloggers made videos about Fake mac of ebay. I purchased an eyeshadow because a limited edition item i wanted was sold out everywhere, i paid double. Received it and its not the same texture, nor the right color and obviously in a real mac container just not real mac eyeshadow.. Shameful! That ended up being the worst 26 dollar eyeshadow purchase and such a heartbreak!

Now mind you. I have been to flea markets and the M.A.C. booths (usually 4 or 5 of them) are always packed, and people waiting forever to snag a deal. I was curious about it all and waited in line. The one i had happened to be in didnt allow you to touch the product unless your purchasing it. No samples were given as well. I saw they had the 2011 summer sand collection (green packaging) so i grabbed a blush it said #02 (they went up to 6) and purchased on for $8.00 just to see how it compared. It was very powdery, felt like crushed chalk and wasnt very pigmented on the cheeks but swatched very well. It was def. an interesting experience because people were being told its real mac, and you were getting steals. Its clearly not but i just find that to be shameful behavior. I know alot of people love the fake stuff i just could never do that to myself or clients knowing what it is, and NOT knowing whats in it. Now if they told us what was in the fake mac products that would be a different story.

See, to me there is a WORLD of difference between knowingly buying fake and not realizing it's fake. That's the part I don't get, I guess (and never will). If someone doesn't know any better and thinks it just "fell off the back of a truck", ok, caveat emptor. BUT if you KNOW that it's fake, that's the part that confuses me. While I can understand the DESIRE for a prestige item--anyone who uses the REAL prestige item is going to be able to tell it's fake....and that (IMHO) leads to you looking just...like a pretender. (Kinda like the story of the gal who cut the labels out of Kmart sweaters and sewed Ralph Lauren labels into them).

When I've spent time with people to whom labels and such meant a great deal (cuz they really don't to me), rather than buying known fakes to try to fit in (knowing it would make me stand out WORSE), my tactic has always been to play up the quality of whatever inexpensive item I was using/wearing. Even though we all know that beauty editorial is absolute bunk in most cases, pointing out that an inexpensive product has been mentioned in whatever magazine or mentioned by whatever celeb always seemed to shush up the gals who didn't see the difference between style and branding

It's sort of like why the FDA was created. Back before there were food laws, and ingredient labels, your "food" from a store could have been anything. I was reading a book from the 1900s and it was talking about how the "apple jelly" in stores was just boiled sawdust mixed with chemicals and dye to make it look like food, but it was really not at all. Companies would do things like grind up sawdust and use it in bread as fiber, because it was cheap and they could make a huge profit that way. It was totally disgusting to read about and it sounds like a similar deal to what the fakes industry does with the makeup. They just take whatever cheap fillers they can find, and sell those cheap products, but because it looks pretty, people think it's okay to use.

Yeah, that's what we call "all filler and no killer" when we do fashion ed shoots, referring to the lack of pigment in an eyeshadow.

Wow i have to say that was a great read for sure, and very informative!

I have to say i have swapped with a lady who said she had MAC 3-D glitter from the heatherette collection, so we swapped and it was a chunky Mac Fake. I was pissed and of course my luck she vanished and i ended up with fake Mac.

my 2nd experience was on ebay before i knew or youtube bloggers made videos about Fake mac of ebay. I purchased an eyeshadow because a limited edition item i wanted was sold out everywhere, i paid double. Received it and its not the same texture, nor the right color and obviously in a real mac container just not real mac eyeshadow.. Shameful! That ended up being the worst 26 dollar eyeshadow purchase and such a heartbreak!

Now mind you. I have been to flea markets and the M.A.C. booths (usually 4 or 5 of them) are always packed, and people waiting forever to snag a deal. I was curious about it all and waited in line. The one i had happened to be in didnt allow you to touch the product unless your purchasing it. No samples were given as well. I saw they had the 2011 summer sand collection (green packaging) so i grabbed a blush it said #02 (they went up to 6) and purchased on for $8.00 just to see how it compared. It was very powdery, felt like crushed chalk and wasnt very pigmented on the cheeks but swatched very well. It was def. an interesting experience because people were being told its real mac, and you were getting steals. Its clearly not but i just find that to be shameful behavior. I know alot of people love the fake stuff i just could never do that to myself or clients knowing what it is, and NOT knowing whats in it. Now if they told us what was in the fake mac products that would be a different story.

You raise a good point here Avintageaffair, To be fair, it really does take a good trained eye to spot the minute differences between fake and authentic. These counterfiters are becoming more and more sophisticated and clever which makes it extremely difficult for professionals, let alone the lay person to spot.

Every Christmas I hear and read stories of fires being caused by fake (counterfit) electrical extension cords, lights, and counterfit name brand batteries that the victims bought at reputable department stores. A police invstigation found that even a department store's distribution network had been infiltrated with counterfit goods that were very difficult to spot from the real thing.

So how do we protect ourselves? Sites like this one that posts comparison fake vs real product is a very good start. I certainly wished I would've found this site a few years earlier to educate myself. At least we're all helping each other.